For generations, if it had an engine and wheels, then people would come up with a way to not only race that vehicle but do everything they can to make it faster. And from the traditional forms of motorsport like drag and circuit racing to the wacky worlds of tractor pulling and ice speedway, the type of competition is only limited by your imagination. But there will always be people who want to go to the next extreme and the standing mile – Monterey Class – pushes man and machine to extraordinary levels. To pay tribute to the bikes that put the class on the map, Jeff Duval the founder of Jets Forever, assembled a team of the world’s very best and together they’ve produced this incredible Norton Commando MkIV-R 900, and it is as beautiful as it is fast.
I’m motorsport obsessed, I’ll watch lawnmowers race, but it wasn’t until I read Jeff’s words that I first heard about the ‘Monterey Class’ of racing. “In the 70’s & 80’s Californian petrol heads invented a new racing class, so the story goes, halfway between circuit road racing and dragster standing quarter style, that was later termed ‘Monterey Class’. This required hybrid motorcycles, to be built halfway between circuit racers and standing quarter types. So, with the recent announcement that historic British brand Norton has been revitalised (once more), I wanted to recreate that era and pay homage to that style.”
Jets Forever Motorcycles have been around for four decades, and it was a good friend of Jeff’s, Nigel, who gave us the tip about the bike. The Norton was conceived and designed by Jeff himself and to bring the bike to fruition, he was joined by industry legends John Parry, Pete Lovell and the team at Image Custom Design. But before a single piece of metal could be bent or shaped, Jeff had to not only sit down and design the bike, but draw up detailed specifications for each and every component. There is no donor bike on which the builder can lean on the engineers of a big manufacturer, all that work had to be done from scratch.
John Parry was tasked with building the frame, and when only the best will do, high strength and low weight are provided by the 7/8th inch chromoly used to bring the chassis together. Starting with the head in a jig, John dialled in a massive 37-degrees of rake, which helps to provide stability at high speed. To further assist in this endeavour, a longer wheelbase is achieved by stretching the forward section of the frame 5 inches over a standard Commando design. Then there are all the custom touches to suit the style of the bike, the drop seat section to get the rider’s centre of gravity low, the gorgeous tubular swingarm and all of the mounts to accept the engine and gearbox package.
Now to get the bike rolling, and when you’re keeping the throttle pinned for a full mile, you want the bike to track straight as an arrow and stop when you get to the end. To make this happen, Jeff has used only the very best bits, while keeping things period correct and it starts with the Competition Ceriani 35mm adjustable front fork assembly. These drop through a stunning set of highly polished triple trees, while the rear end is fully adjustable CR Suspension gear, with progressive springs to keep the rear tyre planted. The braking is just as impressive, with Beringer providing the calipers and masters, and ISR the drilled discs.
Having picked from Europe’s best suppliers, it was over to LA for the rims, where Apollo Wheels came to the party with their black anodised alloy wire wheel package, measuring 21in at the front and a fat 18in for the rear. The tyres are the best of British, Avon rubber, and the bodywork is just the same, with Jeff getting busy to produce a truly stunning visual appearance. From the stretched and narrowed tank to that sculpted rear cowl and the race-like bikini fairing, this Commando looks absolutely ready for some start-line action. And in choosing the colour scheme, inspiration was drawn from another British racing icon, the Lotus Racing team’s yellow graphics package.
But rather than hit the bike with the matching green, the team at Image Custom Design expertly laid down the distinctive Norton black. Hours upon hours were spent smoothing out every piece and panel, and from the logos to the ghosted knee pads and the pinstriping work, it is all simply perfect! So, now there was just one piece left of the puzzle to complete, and the Norton Commando engine is both famous and finicky. But with Pete Lovell screwing the package together, the thing absolutely screams. The entire bottom end is balanced within an inch of its life, each component machined and weight matched to within less than a gram.
The gas flowed head features 9/32 valves and guides, and has been skimmed to bring the compression up to 9.5:1. The crank is lightened and polished, the cam is a 4S and those beautiful carbs are 34mm Mk2 “Smoothbore” concentrics. You could write a book on the engine, but even the clutch basket has been lightened and then fitted with Surflex friction plates, anything to improve performance. Then there is that exhaust system, beautifully bent pipes that sweep like the turn of a ship and spit fire from their out turned exits.
The final job before assembly was to have the lads at Hi-Pol do all the polishing, and given a little company called Rolls Royce uses their services, it’s no wonder the finish is flawless. As is everything about this bike, it almost seems too good to race, as it’s simply stunning just standing still!
[ Jets Forever ]